Thursday, July 07, 2016

If Benghazi doesn’t matter, what does?

For me, these names matter: Christopher Stevens, US Ambassador to Libya, Sean Smith, career diplomat, Glen Doherty, former Navy SEAL, and Tyrone Woods, former Navy SEAL. All died in the service of the United States. They left behind loved ones who are owed the truth, and the sincere support of a grateful nation. But are we grateful?

In the last few days much of what I have heard has been disgusting. Comments like “it’s over” or “it is merely a partisan ploy to keep Hillary from the White House” or “mistakes happen in war, let’s move on.”

I’m not sure what makes me sicker; the notion that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama allowed a US ambassador and the brave Americans protecting him to die. Or the notion that both of them, Hillary especially, tried to cover up the mistakes, and activities that allowed Americans to be slaughtered, just to protect their campaigns, and legacy. Or the recognition my fellow citizens and much of the media are willingly providing political cover, excuses and support for Hillary Clinton – just so their candidate can win the presidency.

To be sure, there were lots of mistakes made – from the Arab Spring to the disastrous efforts at nation building in Libya. But at the end of the day, leaders must always be mindful these immortal words of the late, great, Harry Truman, “the buck stops here” For better or worse, whether complicit, or buffoonery, knowing, or not, the captain of the ship, or leader of the enterprise is always responsible, and in this case, it was President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Watching CNN broadcast Congressmen presenting the final Benghazi report, you would think the investigation concluded without key revelations or damaging evidence how badly our leaders failed those they swore to protect – fellow Americans. The ticker tape message floating across the bottom of the CNN screen seemed designed to mislead; it conveyed all was well for Hillary and no new discoveries found against her. Beyond dishonest and biased reporting – shameful is a good word – is the callous disregard for their fellow citizens who were murdered, and their families.

It is more clear than ever that the media are so “in the tank” for Hillary that they will abandon any semblance of journalistic ethics to twist, obfuscate, refuse to report or spin whatever it takes to help her win. And hell be damned to the families of those who died in Benghazi; they are inconvenient truths, mere stepping stones to be kicked aside on the campaign trail. CNN isn’t alone. The major newspapers and other broadcast media, as well as social media, are all doing the same thing. The democrat message machine is in full production trying to taint the Congressional Report as partisan, unfair, untrue, while providing all loyal party members brooms to sweep the entire affair under the rug.

As sickening and unpatriotic, and despicable as these behaviors are from DNC party members, politicians, and the media, what is by far the worse insult of all is reading some of the partisan, hateful, toxic online comments people – potentially our coworkers and neighbors – have written in response to the Benghazi Report; one especially stabs the heart – “Perhaps Ambassador Stevens got reckless.” Even Hillary on her most ruthless day would not utter such a comment, yet one of her devotees felt no such inhibition of conscience, morality, or soul.

The sad reality is quite simple – many Americans just don’t give a damn that 4 of their fellow citizens died in an environment our leaders helped create, representing us, our nation, our culture, and were abandoned at the altar of political expedience, left to die at in the fires and bullets sent by savage radical Islamists. As long as these Hillary and democrat partisans get to cheer on their candidate, enjoy whatever entitlements, bragging rights, largess, or patronage such loyalty earns, nothing else matters. Don’t get in their way with details like fellow countrymen getting assassinated.

Which begs the question – who are we as a society? If a significant proportion of our fellow citizens readily, unapologetically, dare I suggest happily will ignore, overlook or dismiss such a disastrous example of poor US leadership, resulting in the completely unnecessary death of people just trying to serve their country, what does it say about us? Is there anything redeemable about us? Is there anything salvageable in our social compact? That there are in our midst a large number of people and their enterprises who would sacrifice their neighbors, their human decency, their morality, their humanity, and their patriotism, to ensure their candidate wins an election, it is a stunning indictment of our nation, and a bad omen for our future. What rewards await such base behaviors? A bigger welfare check? Bragging rights? Political influence?

3 comments:

Our first mistake was giving over the education of our children to the government. All they learn in school is that government is good, private is bad. Even if you send your own kids to private school, the kids whose education you also pay for grow up to vote Democrat. That is how we got to where we are. These kids either never heard about Benghazi, or all they heard was that it was just a Republican talking point to stop the next woman president because they are sexist.